A Dutch right-wing senator said that Jews during the Holocaust were driven to gas chambers “like meek little lambs.”
Toine Beukering, who on Tuesday joined the Eerste Kamer — the upper chamber of the Dutch parliament — made the assertion in an interview published Saturday by the Telegraaf daily.
A lawmaker for the Forum for Democracy Party, Beukering drifted into the subject during a talk about his candidacy for speaker of the Dutch Senate.
Recalling his long years of service in the armed forces, he said that the Holocaust was one of the reasons he enlisted.
“As a young child, I read a whole cabinet of books about the Holocaust. I was always interested in finding out how it was at all possible. That the Jews, such a courageous and combative people, were driven to the gas chambers just like meek little lambs. It has always fascinated me. I never really found an answer for it. But to me it did mean one thing: Never again. That’s why I wore a uniform for 40 years and have been all over the world,” Beukering said.
Pressed to explain his reference to lambs, he said: “Well, there was little resistance by Jews. Escapes and such. There were many reasons for this, but it’s a sad story that should never be allowed to be repeated.”
He added his assertion was not meant to offend, but that he stands by it.
On Facebook, Ronny Naftaniel, vice chairman of the Central Jewish Organization of Dutch Jews, set out to correct Beukering.
“Jews did mount considerable resistance. Often in hopeless situations. ‘meek lambs’ is a myth,” Naftaniel wrote.
Yes,it's true but what choice did unarmed civilian Jews have against the most powerful army at that time.
ReplyDeleteBut the question this idiot " Beukering" should really ask,is why did the Dutch and french and Belgium army's surrender like pathetic cowards without firing a shot?
To "Frum but normal"
ReplyDeleteYou ask : "Why did the Dutch and French and Belgium armys surrender like pathetic cowards without firing a shot ?"
"Surrender" is the complete fake news that they tought to you in your poor US schools since 1945. The reality is A LOT different. There were cases of "surrender" in WW1 only (not in WW2 !) concerning certain local totally hopeless battles, that's all. NO ONE in Europe ever talked about "surrender" concerning WW2.
When WW2 began, Belgium and Holland were tiny counties, no way near to decently fight against the Hitler's army, and largely unprepared. It was just out of proprtions. Just see how easy it has been for Hitler y"sh to invade Poland, and you'll have a picture.
France did have an army to respond against Germany in WW2, and France DID fight very hard against the German army, with near constant air-bombing over Germany, France and England on German positions and air fields.
But as the war was spreading and progressing, some people in France and in Italy felt in their pure imagination that it would be way better to unite with the Germans since it was becoming clear that they would quickly take possession of most of Europe (which Boruch Hashem they didn't). Keep in mind that WW1 was just 20 years back, fresh in the memories, and no one wanted to repeat that useless crazy butchery.
As you say in America: "If you can't beat them, join them."
Meanwhile, North of France was occupied by Germany, the entire south was called the Free Zone, and over half the French population got organised and resisted against the Hitler's army.